Temperature-regulator



W. M. FULTON.

TEMPERATURE REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG.2*1- 1916.

1 ,358,073. Pafiented Nov. 9, 1920.

gnumdo'c j'UNITED- STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.IJ"

wEsToN m. EULTONQOE KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, AssI'eNon To THE F LTON COMPANY, OFKNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE. j

= TEMPERATURE-REGULATOR.

To all whom it may concern .f

Be it known that I, WESTON M. FULTON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Temperature-Regulators, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to regulating de-- vices which are responsive to temperature variations, and-while capable of a wide variety of uses, is of particular utility in regulating temperatures not differing greatly from atmospheric temperatures.

An object of this inventionis to provide a regulator comprising a conductor of heat having one portion subjected-to the source of heat and another. portion, preferably exposed to the air, acting as a radiator or heatdissipating means, and a thermosensitive device whichis notsubjected directly to the.

source of heat but to a portion of said conductor. A further object of. this invention is to provide a simplified regulator which takes advantage of the known law of physics that a'conductor of heat subjected at one portion to a source of heat and cooled .by radiation 'at another portion has a determinate and calculable gradation in temperature between the afore said portions, whereby proportionate variation may be utilized for the regulation of means to be controlled.

Yet another object ,of this invention is to provide a' furnace with a draftv regulator that shall prevent overheating, and that shall be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, and efficient in operation;

Stated briefly, the invention comprises, in combination with a source of heat and means .to be controlled, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the source of v heat and another portion thereof,-shownas exposed to the air, so constructed as to provide radiating ,orheat-transmitting .projections, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion thereof and operatively related to the means to be controlled, such, for example, as a draft regulator of a furnace. v4 The invention 1s capable of recelvmg a variety of mechamcal ex ressions, two of i which, for the purpose 0 illustration, have been shown on theacco'mpanyin'g drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 9, 1920. Application filed August 24, 1916. .Serial No; 116,730.

But it is to be expressly understood that these embodiments have been selected for purposes of illustration only, and are not to be construed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose.

Referring to the drawing, wherein the same reference characters designate corre- X sponding parts in the several figures,

. Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section,

of a hot-air furnace provided with a draft:

regulator embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a modified arrangement.

Referring in detail'to the drawing, 1 represents a source of heat, shown as any suitable form-of furnace for a hot-airheating system, wherein 2 is the fire chamber, 3 the smoke flue, 4, 4 air pipes, 5 the, hot-air chamber, and 6 a draft damper. While a draft regulator controlling the .intake of air has been illustrated, it will be apparent that a draft regulator in any pipe or chimney might be used with the invention with equal subjected to the source .of heat; In the embodiment illustrated a conductor of heat 7 u of anysuitablematerial has one portion, as

the end'8, extending'into the hot-air chamber of the furnace 1. Anotherportion of the any suitable conductor is so constructed as to constitute a radiator or heat-dissipating means, as by the provision of radiatin projections. In the embodiment illustrate the opposite end 9 of the conductor is' providedwith a plurality of radiating plates 10, said ,end

constituting the radiator being shown as 'exposed to the air whereby=convectional ourrents will facilitate heat.v dissipation and maintain the end of the conductor at approximately the temperature of the air. in

which it is located. Intermediate the aforesaid portions respectively exposed to the source of heat and constituting the radiator,

.a thermosensitive means is operatively related to the conductor of heat and operatively related to the means tobe controlled,

end of providing means for positioning the thermosensitive means-in operative relatlon to the intermediate portion of the conductor 7, this conductor is shown as enlarged at 11- "tween the cooling source-and the heat transto provide'a container for a fluidsueh, for example, as oil. Received within th1s con 'tainer 11 is a thermosensitive .device 12.1

Any suitable form of thermbsensitive means may be employed, that illustrated compmsing a thermostat of the general type disclosed in my operating stem 13 of this thermostat has engagement with a weighted lever 14 pivoted in'the bracket 15 supported on-the housing of the thermosensitive device, and one end of 1 the lever 14 is operatively connected to the of the hot-air heating system, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this embodiment of the inventionthe'temperature' ofthe outside air, 1

as it flowsto the-furnace, rather than the temperature in. the furnace room, will be a factor. in determining the thermostatic ,control of the draft regulator.

In operation, portion 8 of the conductor 'of heat, which is subjected to the source of heat, has a relatively high temperature. On the other hand, portion 9 of this conductor, which is exposed to the air, will have a relatively lower temperature, determined by the temperature of the air I to which thisportion constituting theradiator' or heat dissipator' is subjected. Between these portions of the conductor there will be a determinate gradation in temperature, depending upon the ph 'sicalcharacteristics of the conductor. 'l he temperature at the point at which the thermosensitive. means is positioned will vary with and in proportionto the difference in temperature between the aforesaid portions 8 and 9, Thereby the thermosensitive means may) operate the draft regulator, or other means to be controlled, accurately and efiiciently,

- but without subjection to the source. of heat itself, and under-the control ofvariationsof temperature less than those occurring at the,

source.

While the as employed for the purpose'of'draftregulation in a furnace, it is to be-expresslyunderstood that the invention is .not restricted to this: particular use, for it'isapplicable directly to the source of heat' Patent No. 1,153,214, dated, September 14, 1915. In theform shown, the

invention has been described I invention is of equal application in regulatingtemperatures below the temperature of the atmosphere. In the latter event there will be a gradual .rise in temperature bemittingiportion 9 of the, conductor of heat. Therefore; Wherever the term source of heat is employed in the claims hereto appended, such expression is to be construed as inclusive of sources of temperature control either aboveor below atmospheric temperatures;

What is claimed is:

1. The combination-"with a source of heat and means to be controlled, azrelatively stationary conductor of heat having one portion thereof subjected to said source of heat and another portion thereof exposed to the air andso constructed as to constitute a,

radiator, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively related said meansto be controlled.

2. In combination with a-source of heat and means-to be controlled, a relatively stationary, conductor of heat having -one,por-' tion thereof subjected to said source of heat and another portion provided with a plurality of project-ionszto facilitate the trans- 'mission of heat thereby, and, thermosensitive means subjected to -'an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively Y related to said means to 'be conti'olled.

3. In combination with a source ofhe atf and means to be controlled, a relatively stationary conductor of heat having one ortion thereof subjected to said source of eat I and. another portion provided with a plux rality of radiating; plates, and thermosen-' sitive means. subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operativelj related to said means to be-controlled.

4. In combination with asource o f='heat I and-means to be controlled, a relatively stationary conductor-of heat having one portion thereof subjected to said source'of heat and another portion thereof exposed'to the airand so constructed' as.toconstitute a ra- Idiator, a container in heat-conducting retionary conductor of heat having one portion thereofsubjected to said source ofheat and another portion thereof provided with heat-dissipating projections,;a container in to the regulation of temperature in other relations where it is desired'that the thermoheat-conducting relation to and intermeg diateof the aforesaidfportions, and thermosensltive means in sald container and oper I 'atively related to said means to be conv trolled. absence of heat, -it W111 be apparent that this 6. combination with a of heat and means to be controlled, a rod of heatconducting material having one portion subjected to said source of heat, another portion provided with projections to facilitate air-cooling and an intermediate portion formed to receive thermosensitive means, and thermosensitive means in operative relation to said intermediate portion and operatively, related to said means to be controlled.

T. In combination with a furnace and a draft-regulator therefor, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and another portion thereof exposed to the air and so constructed as to constitute a radiator, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively connected to said draftregulator.

8. In combination with a furnace and a draft-regulator therefor, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and another portion thereof provided with heat-dissipating projections, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively connected to said draft-regulator.

9. In combination with a furnace and a draft-regulator therefor,a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and another portion thereof exposed to the air and so constructed as to constitute a radiator, a container in heatconducting relation to and intermediate of I the aforesaid portions, and thermosensitive means in said container and operatively connected to said draftregulator.

10. In combination with a hot-air furnace and a draftmegulator therefor, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and another portion subjected to the air-intake of said furnace, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively connected to said draftregulator.

11. In combination with a hot-air furnace and a draft-regu1atortherefor, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and another portion subjected to the air-intake of said furnace and so constructed as to constitute a radiator, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively connected to said draft-regulator.

12. In combination with a hot-air furnace and a draft-regulator therefor, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and another portion subjected to the air-intake of said furnace and provided with heat-dissipating projections, and thermosensitive means subto the heat of said furnace and another portion subjected to the air-intake of said furnace, a container in heat-conducting relation to and intermediate of the aforesaid port-ions, and thermosensitive means in said container and operatively connected to said draft-regulator.

14. In combination with a hot-air furnace and a draft-regulator therefor, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and another portion subjected to the air-intake of said furnace and so constructed as to constitute a radiator, a container in heat-conducting relation to and intermediate of the aforesaid portions, and thermosensitive means in said container and operatively connected to said draft-regulator.

15. In combination with a furnace and a draft regulator therefor, a conductor of heat having one portion subjected to the heat of said furnace and a heat-dissipating portion exposed to the air, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively connected to said draft-regulator.

16. In combination with a source of heat and means to be controlled, a relatively sta tionary conductor of heat having one portion thereof subjected to said source of heat and another portion thereof exposed to the air and provided with means to t'ansmit heat readily therebetween, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said conductor and operatively related to said means to be controlled,

17. In combination with a source of heat and means to be controlled, a rod of heatconducting material having one portion sub jected to said source of heat and another portion constructed to facilitate dissipation of heat to the air, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said rod and operativelv related to said means to be controlled.

18. In combination with a source of heat and means to be controlled, -a rod of heat conducting material subjected at one portion to said source of heat and having a heat-dissipating portion subjected to the air, and thermosensitive means subjected to an intermediate portion of said rod and operatively related to said means to be controlled.

In testimon whereof I have signed this specification.

"WESTON M. FULTON. 

